Ice maker

Abstract

An ice maker includes a water system that delivers water from a water reservoir to an ice formation device. A mount can hold one or both of a fitting of a water level sensor and a water pump in relation to the water reservoir. For example, the mount can include integral features that lock with the fitting to mount the fitting on the ice maker at a sensing position. The mount can include integral features that form a bayonet connection with a portion of the pump. A vertical support wall can included integrated features for supporting the mount in relation to the water reservoir.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ice maker for forming ice, the ice maker comprising:
 a refrigeration system comprising an ice formation device; 
 a water system for supplying water to the ice formation device, the water system comprising a water reservoir configured to hold water to be formed into ice, passaging providing fluid communication between the water reservoir and the ice formation device, and a water level sensor for detecting an amount of water in the reservoir, the water level sensor including a fitting; and 
 a sensor mount for mounting the fitting of the water level sensor on the ice maker at a sensing position in which the fitting connect the water level sensor to the reservoir for detecting the amount of water in the reservoir; 
 wherein the sensor mount is configured to be lockingly engaged with the fitting to releasably mount the fitting on the ice maker at the sensing position; 
 wherein the sensor mount comprises a mounting plate defining a sensor opening, the fitting configured to be received in the sensor opening; 
 wherein the fitting comprises a shaft extending along a shaft axis from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, a bayonet arm extending radially outward from the shaft, and a flange extending radially outward from the shaft at a location proximally spaced from the bayonet arm such that a gap extends along the shaft axis between the bayonet arm and the flange. 
 
     
     
       2. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein locking engagement between the sensor mount and the fitting is configured to releasably mount the fitting on the ice maker without any additional fasteners. 
     
     
       3. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the fitting is lockingly engageable with the sensor mount by a bayonet connection. 
     
     
       4. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor opening is configured such that, when the fitting is in a first rotational position about the shaft axis, the fitting is passable into the opening by movement along the shaft axis until the flange engages the mounting plate. 
     
     
       5. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein when the flange engages the mounting plate, the fitting is rotatable about the shaft axis from the first rotational position in a locking rotational direction to a second rotational position in which a portion of the mounting plate is captured in the gap between the flange and the bayonet arm. 
     
     
       6. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a detent configured to engage the flange when the fitting is in the second rotational position to retain the fitting at the second rotational position such that the detent inhibits the fitting from rotating about the shaft axis when at the second rotational position. 
     
     
       7. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the flange includes a recess configured to receive the detent when the flange is in the second rotational position, the recess being angularly offset from the bayonet arm about the shaft axis. 
     
     
       8. The ice maker of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor opening comprises a bayonet slot through which the bayonet arm is passable to from a location above the mounting plate to a location below the mounting plate as the fitting moves along the shaft axis until the flange engages the mounting plate. 
     
     
       9. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a counter-rotation stop configured to inhibit rotation of the fitting about the shaft axis from the first rotational position in a counter-rotational direction away from the second rotational position. 
     
     
       10. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate comprises an over-rotation stop configured to inhibit rotation of the fitting about the shaft axis from the first rotational position beyond the second rotational position. 
     
     
       11. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the bayonet arm is planar and extends in a first plane parallel to the shaft axis and the flange is planar and extends in a second plane perpendicular to the shaft axis. 
     
     
       12. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shaft, the bayonet arm, and the flange are formed integrally as a single piece. 
     
     
       13. An ice maker for forming ice, the ice maker comprising:
 a refrigeration system comprising an ice formation device; 
 a water system for supplying water to the ice formation device, the water system comprising a water reservoir configured to hold water to be formed into ice, passaging providing fluid communication between the water reservoir and the ice formation device, and a water pump configured to pump water from the water reservoir through the passaging to the ice formation device, the water pump comprising a pump motor and an intake assembly fixed to the pump motor; and 
 a pump mount for mounting the water pump on the ice maker for pumping water from the water reservoir through the passaging, wherein the pump mount is configured to mount the water pump such that the intake assembly extends downward from the pump motor into the water reservoir; 
 wherein the water pump is configured to be connected to the pump mount by a bayonet connection by rotating the pump motor and the intake assembly together as a unit in relation to the pump mount. 
 
     
     
       14. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the water pump is further configured to be connected to the pump mount by a screw. 
     
     
       15. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 14 , further comprising a housing having a pump access opening through which the water pump is accessible in the housing. 
     
     
       16. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the pump mount has a bayonet connection region at which the water pump is configured to be connected to the pump mount by the bayonet connection and a screw connection region at which the water pump is configured to be connected to the pump mount by the screw, the screw connection region being closer to the pump access opening than the bayonet connection region. 
     
     
       17. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the water pump comprises a mounting flange including a bayonet arm. 
     
     
       18. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the pump mount comprises a mounting plate, a receiver, and a bayonet slot between the receiver and the mounting plate. 
     
     
       19. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the mounting flange is configured to be slidably engaged with the mounting plate for rotation about an axis from a first rotational position in which the bayonet arm is spaced from the bayonet slot to a second rotational position in which the bayonet arm is received in the bayonet slot. 
     
     
       20. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the mounting flange further comprises a screw arm spaced apart from the bayonet arm. 
     
     
       21. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the pump mount comprises a mounting plate including a pump opening, wherein the water pump is configured to be connected to the pump mount by moving the pump motor and intake assembly together to insert the intake assembly downward through the pump opening until the pump engages the pump mount and then rotating the pump motor and the intake assembly together as a unit in relation to the pump mount. 
     
     
       22. An ice maker for forming ice, the ice maker comprising:
 a refrigeration system comprising an ice formation device; and 
 a water system for supplying water to the ice formation device, the water system comprising a water reservoir configured to hold water to be formed into ice, passaging providing fluid communication between the water reservoir and the ice formation device, a water pump configured to pump water from the water reservoir through the passaging to the ice formation device, and a water level sensor for detecting an amount of water in the reservoir; 
 a mounting plate connected to at least one of the water level sensor and the water pump; and 
 a molded support comprising at least one vertically extending support wall formed from a single monolithic piece of molded material, the vertically extending support wall including first and second integrally formed connectors; 
 wherein the first connector is configured to attach the mounting plate to the support and the second connector is configured to attach the water reservoir to the support such that the support supports the mounting plate and the water reservoir and positions the mounting plate with respect to the water reservoir so that at least one of (a) the water level sensor connected to the mounting plate is configured to detect the amount of water in the reservoir and (b) the water pump connected to the mounting plate is configured to pump water from the water reservoir through the passaging; 
 wherein the vertically extending support wall comprises a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion laterally spaced apart from the first side wall portion. 
 
     
     
       23. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the molded support is formed by compression molding. 
     
     
       24. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the first and second integrally formed connectors are formed on the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion further comprising a third integrally formed connector and a fourth integrally formed connector. 
     
     
       25. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the first and third integrally formed connectors are configured to mount the mounting plate between the first and second side wall portions and the second and fourth integrally formed connectors are configured to mount the water reservoir between the first and second side wall portions. 
     
     
       26. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein each of the second and fourth integrally formed connectors comprises a mounting hole and wherein the water reservoir comprises opposite first and second end portions, each of the opposite first and second end portions comprises a projection, the projection of the first end portion configured to be received in the second integrally formed connector and the projection of the second end portion configured to be received in the fourth integrally formed connector. 
     
     
       27. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein each of the first and third integrally formed connectors comprises a projection that defines a tapered screw hole. 
     
     
       28. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the mounting plate is configured to connect to both the water level sensor and the water pump. 
     
     
       29. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein the mounting plate comprises an integral sensor mount for the water level sensor and an integral pump mount for the water pump. 
     
     
       30. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the integral sensor mount and the integral pump mount both comprise bayonet couplings. 
     
     
       31. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the water level sensor includes a fitting and the mounting plate comprises a sensor mount for mounting the fitting of the water level sensor on the ice maker at a sensing position in which the fitting connects the water level sensor to the reservoir for detecting the amount of water in the reservoir, the sensor mount being configured to be lockingly engaged with the fitting to releasably mount the fitting on the ice maker at the sensing position. 
     
     
       32. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 31 , wherein the sensor mount comprises a sensor opening in the mounting plate for receiving the fitting; wherein the fitting comprises a shaft extending along a shaft axis from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, a bayonet arm extending radially outward from the shaft, and a flange extending radially outward from the shaft at a location proximally spaced from the bayonet arm such that a gap extends along the shaft axis between the bayonet arm and the flange; wherein the sensor opening is configured such that, when the fitting is in a first rotational position about the shaft axis, the fitting is passable into the opening by movement along the shaft axis until the flange engages the mounting plate; wherein when the flange engages the mounting plate, the fitting is rotatable about the shaft axis from the first rotational position in a locking rotational direction to a second rotational position in which a portion of the mounting plate is captured in the gap between the flange and the bayonet arm. 
     
     
       33. The ice maker as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a pump mount for mounting the water pump on the ice maker for pumping water from the water reservoir through the passaging; wherein the water pump comprises a pump motor and an intake assembly fixed to the pump motor; wherein the pump mount is configured to mount the water pump such that the intake assembly extends downward from the pump motor into the water reservoir; and wherein the water pump is configured to be connected to the pump mount by a bayonet connection by rotating the pump motor and the intake assembly together as a unit in relation to the pump mount.